According to a report in SPORT, Barcelona is considering making a move for Thiago Alcántara, a versatile midfielder who can play a number of roles in midfield.
Xavi has made it clear that if Barca hopes to challenge across multiple formats this season, they’ll need to bring in reinforcements to the midfielder area.
Last night the La Liga champions were linked to Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva, and the deal for Girona pivot Oriol Romeu is still ongoing.
Now we can add another name to the list, with a player that Barca fans know well.
Through the youth ranks
Thiago joined Barcelona’s famed La Massia academy from Brazilian side Flamengo and worked his way up to the first team.
He made 68 appearances for Barca before joining Bundesliga side Bayern Munich for €25 million.
Now, having been away from the Blaugrana for a decade, there’s a chance he could make a return. Having played in the same teams as Xavi, he’s well-known to the Barca manager.
The report indicates that while Liverpool won’t be forcing Thiago to move on, they are open to listening to offers for the 32-year-old.
The Merseyside team have spent considerable money to reinforce their midfield this summer signing Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig and Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton.
With Thiago entering the twilight of his career, he may find the proposition of returning to the team where he made his first-team breakthrough an attractive one.
There are no indications of price, but with all things considered, I would suggest that a deal between €15-€20 million may be enough.
Thiago would bring plenty of experience to a midfield occupied by youth. Although the addition of Manchester City man Ilkay Gündogan has already ticked the experience box.
Unfortunately for Thiago, a hip problem impacted his availability last year and injuries have slowed the Brazilian down in recent years.